“I told the team, the things we talked about yesterday with Dallas are the things we’re going to be concerned about today -- our transition defense and our pick-and-roll defense,” Stotts said after this morning’s shootaround at the team’s practice facility.

The Clippers, with athletic big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, can fill up an entire “SportsCenter” with highlight-reel fastbreak dunks in one game, and point guard Chris Paul might not have an NBA equal in running the pick-and-roll. Last night, the Clippers were in full flight as they dismantled previously unbeaten San Antonio 106-84.

“Obviously, San Antonio’s an elite team, and they kind of made easy work of it,” Stotts said.

Tonight’s game gives Blazers rookie Damian Lillard his first chance to match up against Paul. Lillard said he realizes he’ll face a talented point guard every game, but tonight will be especially challenging.

“He’s probably the best point guard in the league, especially off ball screens,” Lillard said. “I know he really is effective in ball screens, getting guards on his back, probing a lot and making plays.”

Stotts said he might use forward Nicolas Batum defensively on Paul, a tactic former coach Nate McMillan liked.

“I think part of it is who else is on the court, but I know Nic has played him in the past, and having some length on Chris, I think, can be effective,” Stotts said. “And Nic’s also athletic enough to be effective.”

Other notes from shootaround:

• The Blazers are coming off a three-game road trip in which they shot 38.9 percent from the field and failed to break 40 percent in two of games. Stotts, however, said that percentage is more a matter of players missing shots than executing the offense.

“I’ve been pleased with the shots we’re getting,” Stotts said. “We’re taking care of the ball, we’re getting decent looks, we’re getting the ball where we want it to go. Some nights, they’re like that. Some nights you have nights like Dallas where everything goes in (for the Mavericks, who shot 61.5 percent in the game).

“When I review film from our offense, I want to make sure we’re executing, we’re screening, we’re passing, and we’re getting the shots that we want. I think we’ve been doing that.”

• Stotts said there will be no changes to his lineup, and rookie forward Victor Claver will “probably” go on the inactive list for the game.

• Portland general manager Neil Olshey put together much of the Clippers’ core, but he said he will not have divided loyalties at the Rose Garden.

“There are a lot of people I really care about and wish success to, but on a team level, the only team I care about is the Trail Blazers,” Olshey said.

• A reporter asked Stotts why center J.J. Hickson didn’t bother jumping on the game-opening tipoff of a recent game. Stotts said the reporter should ask Hickson. But Hickson happened to be shooting free throws on the nearest court, so Stotts yelled to Hickson himself.

Stotts then asked Hickson if he won the overtime tip in Houston (where the Blazers got their lone win on the trip), and Hickson said he did. “That’s the one that matters, anyway,” Stotts added.

The coach said that the opening tip is more important in college, where the alternating possession arrow comes into play. In the NBA, he said, it doesn’t really matter.

“I think winning the tip is inconsequential, and someone told me a stat that teams don’t necessarily score on that winning tip,” Stotts said. “Every team gets it twice at the beginning of quarters, so it’s not really that big a deal.”